Fansided

NBA Free Agency: Aaron Brooks agrees to one-year deal with Indiana Pacers

By John Buhler

Jan 11, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) dribbles the ball against Washington Wizards guard Ramon Sessions (7) during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) dribbles the ball against Washington Wizards guard Ramon Sessions (7) during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

After multiple days discussing a deal, the Indiana Pacers have agreed to a one-year deal with NBA veteran point guard Aaron Brooks worth $2.5 million.

According to Shams Charania of The Vertical of Yahoo! Sports, “free agent guard Aaron Brooks has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal with [the Indiana Pacers], signing this week.”

Indiana was looking for a serviceable backup point guard to rotate with recently acquired starter Jeff Teague for some time now. The Pacers and Brooks’ representatives had been in discussion on a potential deal for well over a week before agreeing to a one-year contract with Indiana on Monday.

The Pacers will be Brooks’ sixth NBA team in 10 NBA seasons, since going in the back-end of the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft to the Houston Rockets out of the University of Oregon. Brooks is best known for the six years he spent over two stints with the Rockets (2007-11, 2013-14) and being the backup point guard to Derrick Rose with the Chicago Bulls for much of the last two seasons.

Brooks played in 151 games for the Bulls, starting in 21 contests the last two years. He averaged 9.6 points per game, 2.9 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 19.8 minutes over the last two years with the Bulls.

Indiana has had a fantastic 2016 NBA offseason thus far, but needed to get a competitive backup point guard to complement Jeff Teague and to have a real shot at challenging the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

Related Story: NBA Free Agency: Worst contracts of 2016

What this signing for the Pacers inevitably means is that team president, Larry Bird, has likely seen enough out of Ty Lawson at point guard, who remains an unrestricted free agent. Indiana should be better than the No. 7 seed in the 2017 Eastern Conference Playoffs, but will the Teague/Brooks point guard tandem be enough to get the Pacers to their third Eastern Conference Finals in five seasons?

For more NBA free agency news, please check out our NBA free agency category page.

Home/Chicago Bulls